Karen Nyamu asks Ruto to resist Raila’s handshake
Nominated Senator Karen Nyamu has asked President William Ruto not to agree on a political deal with Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
Via a Facebook post, the controversial politician suggested Mr Odinga’s recent demands were ‘outrageous’ in nature, and could only indicate he was after a possible deal with President Ruto, which is loosely referred to in political circles as a ‘handshake’.
“In politics I have mastered something called reading the signs of the times. And this is where Raila Odinga and Martha Karua seem to be showcasing cluelessness,” explained Nyamu.
Ms Nyamu also indicated that Mr Odinga will not succeed in staging demonstrations to destabilize President Ruto’s government, as he has done in the past.
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“President Ruto was vehemently against the 2018 handshake and its repercussions. Anybody who imagines maandamano (demonstrations) will lead to negotiations with the President is deluded.”
The statements comes a day after Mr Odinga reiterated he won the August 2022 polls, but the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commision (IEBC) instead handed the victory to President William Ruto.
Mr Odinga also emphasised he will not recognise William Ruto as the duly elected President of Kenya.
“We do not recognize the Kenya Kwanza administration as a legitimate government and Ruto as the President or any official in his government,” Raila said.
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Mr Odinga has in the past entered political agreements with former President Daniel Moi and Mwai Kibaki (both deceased) and Uhuru Kenyatta.
The agreement with Mr Moi enabled him to fold his political outfit namely National Development Party (NDP) and join the ruling party Kanu as secretary general from where he was also rewarded with a Cabinet slot.
Mr Odinga’s cooperation with Mr Kibaki was a forced one in the aftermath of the 2007/2008 contested election and post-election violence which left 1000 people dead and hundreds of thousands of others displaced. Mr Kibaki was enforced to invite Mr Odinga to his government and appoint him Prime Minister.
And just recently, Mr Odinga crossed ranks with Mr Uhuru Kenyatta in a deal characterised ‘handshake’ which saw the former president unsuccessfully back the veteran politician for the presidency in the August 2022 polls.
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